tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138926902012-02-16T13:14:19.230+01:00Mountain, bring me a dream...A blog about my thoughts about go. This is mostly a tool for me to process thoughts and ideas into something useful in my head. It feels like an idea I've written down and elaborated on sticks better. But feel free to read and comment, if I can learn from you then I am grateful.Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.comBlogger181100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-66041930541273584012007-01-09T23:23:00.000+01:002008-11-19T07:44:27.699+01:00The goban nobody wantedLast week I received my $10 goban. Short story short, I bid on an ebay auction but I never believed I would win :) Happy I did tho.Some may think it's severely blemished, I think it has character. Contemplating whether I should work on restoring it or just enjoy it as it is.Here's a few pictures (click to enlarge):I need to wipe it off and try to get some better pictures, Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-1153321054191770532006-07-19T16:06:00.001+02:002009-09-21T12:22:39.115+02:00Summer: The season of Go books.Last summer I went to London and got to visit several gaming stores who carried go books. This year I won't leave the country, but I've certainly managed to aquire even more go books this time around.From left to right: Nie Weiping on Go, Direction of Play, Think like a Pro: Haengma, Art of Go series volume 1: The Art of Connecting Stones, Making Good Shape, Come upGilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-1133448445237486952005-12-01T13:45:00.000+01:002005-12-01T15:47:25.290+01:00Time to get strongerMost people have different opinions on how to study go and how to get better. Some like to play and learn from playing, others like to read alot of books and some feel you need to be taught by stronger players. I used to be of the creed that would read theoretical books and hopefully be able to use my new knowledge in games to come. However, the players I played rarely played Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-1131721322636769692005-11-11T14:42:00.000+01:002005-11-25T16:57:24.213+01:00Playing to winWhat's the point of winning a game? When you think about it a win against a player of equal strength means little in retrospect. It doesn't elevate you to a new level.. It doesn't necessarily teach you more than a loss might. Many will argue to the contrary even. So, besides feeling good, what does winning a game do for you?Of course on an isolated level, winning is the ultimate Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-1126905642884326502005-09-16T22:22:00.000+02:002005-09-16T23:20:42.893+02:00Teaching and being taught.The go community is great. From the go teaching ladder to the beginners room on kgs, the willingness to teach others about go is very impressive. But something odd has happened to me and my friends on a couple of occasions. Some people get angry. Some people fight back. Worst of all, some people take the review very personally.We have to respect that people of different Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-1126168414964752582005-09-08T09:43:00.000+02:002005-09-08T11:47:07.636+02:00Know your enemy.I suspect alot of people get rooted in one style of play. Aggressive fighting. Pure territory focus. Big moyos. I want to change it up a little.I started this entry by saying know your enemy, but that is more an afterthought than my real point in this entry. People play go for different reasons. Some think it looks pretty. What we created between us on the board is peaceful and Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-1124280507521301842005-08-17T13:10:00.000+02:002005-08-17T22:07:41.160+02:00Two concepts were presented to me today. One from the book pro-pro handicap go: "The handicap stones [in a 4 stone handicap game] are not effective for gaining territory with. Even more so than in a 5 stone handicap. You have to use the stones to help you fight".It may seem obvious, but this is something I need to ponder and see if I can apply to my strategy. Number two comes from browsing Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-1123743854292356822005-08-11T07:40:00.000+02:002005-08-11T09:04:14.296+02:00Last night coming home from the club, I checked my mail before going in and found a packet from the wonderful woman who owns the Shodan Challenge blog. My very own copy of Lessons in the Fundamantals! She is too sweet, and I am very grateful. I borrowed it from a friend for a week or so, but I have in no way studied it to the depth I wish.Been peeking in it off and on today. Thanks Nanny!Also gotGilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-1122636298933141432005-07-29T12:05:00.000+02:002005-07-29T13:24:58.936+02:00actually, scratch that. Just ordered the two tesuji dictionaries and on a friends recommendation "Pro-pro handicap go", which I am very excited about. Notice myself playing too much like a normal game in handicap situations, and after being shown some nice handicap openings and such I realize it's a different ballgame alltogether. If this book can make me lose a handicap stone or two against the Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-1122456349343079552005-07-27T11:23:00.000+02:002005-07-27T11:25:49.346+02:00Was just about to mail in my order for the two volumes that are ou in english of the Fujisawa Tesuji Dictionary.. But on closer inspection to my account, that is not happening for another paycheck.. *sigh*Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-1121770290111623222005-07-19T11:39:00.000+02:002005-07-19T12:51:30.116+02:00Yesterday I played two games. First game was pretty aimless and I lost by 22 points due to letting an invasion out in to the open, and letting my opponent close off his/her moyo too easily. Played decent shape and it wasn't too horrible, but my timing wasn't really any good and the fourstar opening got the better of me. I decided to play again. And I was calm and had no expectations to the match.Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-1121699057069195112005-07-18T10:15:00.000+02:002005-07-18T17:04:17.240+02:00Vacation over. Ironically, even tho I thought I'd be spending more time on improving my go during my vacation, the opposite was actually true. Even tho my kgs progress has been abyssmal these last months, I am making progress at the club. A friend of mine who I have the lead in our games recently has progressed to 13k kgs territory, while I'm closer to falling to 17k. And even tho I have the moreGilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-1120217113963284502005-07-01T13:15:00.000+02:002005-07-01T13:29:43.043+02:00"Do not pride yourself on victory, do not complain about defeat. A junzi is modest and generous; it is typical of vulgar persons to give way to irascible and furious expressions. It is good for the best players not to exalt themselves and for beginners to have no fear. Be calm and breathe regularly. If you do this, your battle is already half won, while if your face reveals your disturbance, you Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-1120053050078471182005-06-29T15:49:00.000+02:002005-06-29T15:50:50.083+02:00Ok! Heading off to the club. Personal goal for the night, try something new and make a few experimental invasions. Also work on confidence. Strenght is born from it, or so I hear.Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-1119942866587739332005-06-28T09:05:00.000+02:002005-06-28T09:14:26.590+02:00so I've been reading Get strong at invading. I must say the play is elegant, and it has helped me understand better how invasions work. What I do expect tho, is that I will need alot of experimentation and that my play will probably even decline for a period. Hardest part for me is to prep for invasions without it being so painstakingly obvious that my opponent closes all gaps. Maybe I should Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-1119552122149201052005-06-23T20:33:00.000+02:002005-06-23T20:42:02.156+02:00So.. The books I got in London.First day I bought the board and the book Intermediate level power builder. It's a chatty book, kinda classroom setting where students suggest a move, and the teacher explains what's wrong with it and what to really do. Not bad. Reason I bought it was mostly due to it was one of the few from that store I wanted.. Was afraid I wouldn't get any other books. All in allGilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-1119551208829196902005-06-23T20:12:00.000+02:002005-06-23T20:26:48.836+02:00Last week I was in London. You can't really buy any go related things here in Norway (one store I know that has a basic set and some replacement stones), so I went a bit overboard. Here's a couple of pictures of my new set I picked up (bought the bowls and the table, the stones I had)Here some links to additional pictures:Close upWith stones laid outtopside viewAnd lastly.. My new books :DGilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13892690.post-1119518967519074922005-06-23T11:15:00.000+02:002005-06-23T12:13:33.763+02:00Hi.. I have been a Livejournal user for many years now.. At least 5. And I've probably made about 5 posts during those years.. but a couple of days ago I stumbled over shodan-challenge.blogspot.com and realized that if I blogged about something I am passionate about, I would actually write. So here it is.I learned the rules a couple of years ago. But I didn't play much (due to something NachtrabeGilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13362179598146695470noreply@blogger.com0